Morton Gould: Symphony Of Spirituals (Full Score)

This 1975 work was commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the American bicentennial celebrations. It was premiered by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra conducted by Aldo Ceccato, on April 1, 1976. Mostly the music is based on original themes by Gould, although there are a few references to actual traditional spirituals, highly transformed by the composer. His intention was to reflect a sound of America's musical heritage in this bicentennial work.